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Gasoline  and  Gasoline  Container  Fire  Incidents 


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Elaine  A.  Tyrrell 

Programmatic  Center  for  Fire  Research 
Institute  for  Applied  Technology 
National  Bureau  of  Standards 
Washington,  D.C.    20234 


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U.S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  COMMERCE,  Frederick  3.  Dent,  Secretary 
\^  CNATIONAL  BUREAU   OF  STANDARDS,   Richard  W.  Roberts,  Director 

Issued  January  1975 


Library  of  Congress  Catalog  Card  Number:    74-600163 
National  Bureau  of  Standards  Technical  Note  850 

Nat.  Bur.  Stand.  (U.S.),  Tech.  Note  850,  34  pages  (Jan.  1975) 
CODEN:   NBTNAE 


U.S.  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
WASHINGTON:     1975 


For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  U.S.  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.C.    20402 
(Order  by  SD  Catalog  No.  03.46:850). 
Price  85  cents 


CONTENTS 

page 

1.  INTRODUCTION  1 

2.  DATA  COLLECTION  PROCEDURE 2 

3.  FINDINGS 4 

3.1.  Age  and  Sex  of  Persons  Involved 4 

3.2.  Gasoline  Incidents  9 

3.2.1.  Ignition-Causing  Activities  For 
Gasoline  Incidents  9 

3.2.2.  Major  Ignition-Causing  Activities 

For  Gasoline  Incidents  11 

3.2.3.  Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline 
Incidents 12 

3.2.4.  Major  Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline 
Incidents 14 

3.3.  Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents  ....  15 

3.3.1.  Container  Description  For  Gasoline 
Container-Related  Incidents 15 

3.3.2.  Ignition-Causing  Activities  For 
Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents    17 

3.3.3.  Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline 
Container-Related  Incidents 20 

3.4.  Gasoline  Can  Incidents 21 

4.  CONCLUSIONS 23 

5.  RECOMMENDATIONS 24 

APPENDIX  A.   THE  FLAMMABLE  FABRICS  ACCIDENT  CASE  AND 

TESTING  SYSTEM  (FFACTS) 2  6 

APPENDIX  B.   SYSTEM  DEVISED  FOR  OBTAINING  ADDITIONAL 
INFORMATION  FROM  FFACTS  CONCERNING  GASOLINE  AND 
GASOLINE  CONTAINER- RELATED  INCIDENTS  27 


ill 


GASOLINE  AND  GASOLINE  CONTAINER  FIRE  INCIDENTS 

Elaine  A.  Tyrrell 

Gasoline  was  involved  in  72  percent  of  the  645 
volatile  flammable  liquids  fire  incidents  found  in 
the  NBS  Flammable  Fabrics  Accident  Case  and  Testing 
System  as  of  December  1973.   These  gasoline  incidents, 
particularly  those  that  were  container-related, 
were  studied  in  detail.   Male  victims  out-numbered 
females  approximately  5  to  1.   Both  males  and 
females,  ages  6-20,  were  injured  more  frequently 
than  would  have  been  expected  if  the  incidents  for 
each  sex  had  been  distributed  uniformly  over  all 
age  groups.   Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire 
caused  ignitions  most  frequently  and  involved 
primarily  males  ages  13-45.   Children  were  injured 
most  from  knocking  over  or  dropping  a  container  of 
gasoline  close  to  an  ignition  source  and  playing 
with  gasoline  and  an  ignition  source.   Matches 
were  the  most  frequent  ignition  source.   Containers 
ranged  from  large  gasoline  cans  to  kitchen  measuring 
cups,  although  gasoline  cans  were  reported  most 
often.   The  youngest  children  were  involved  most 
with  some  of  the  largest  containers.   The  remaining 
victims  were  involved  primarily  with  smaller,  more 
easily  managed  containers.   There  was  no  indication 
that  the  gasoline  containers,  by  themselves,  contri- 
buted substantially  to  these  incidents.   The 
problem  was  one  of  human  error  -  misuse  or  abuse 
of  the  gasoline,  the  container,  or  both. 

Key  words:   Accidents;  FFACTS;  gasoline;  gasoline 
containers;  gasoline  incidents;  gasoline-related 
fires;  ignition-causing  activities;  ignition  sources; 
volatile  flammable  liquids;  volatile  flammable  liquids 
incidents. 


1.   INTRODUCTION 

Among  some  of  the  current  problems  associated  with  gasoline 
shortages  and  accompanying  price  increases  are  the  tendencies 
of  consumers  to  hoard  gasoline.   An  increasing  number  of  acci- 
dents associated  with  the  storage  and  usage  of  this  fuel  are 
being  reported  via  the  news  media. 


Last  year,  an  estimated  24,600  people1  sought  hospital 
emergency  room  attention  for  injuries  sustained  from  flammable 
liquids.   Approximately  60  percent  of  these  injuries  were 
attributable  to  gasoline. 

The  Flammable  Fabrics  Accident  Case  and  Testing  System 
(FFACTS)2  at  the  National  Bureau  of  Standards  (NBS)  was  searched 
for  fire  incidents  involving  gasoline  with  the  knowledge  that 
data  collected  for  this  system  is  flammable  fabrics  oriented 
and,  therefore,  any  information  pertaining  to  the  causal 
effects  of  flammable  liquids  or  flammable  liquid  containers  may 
be  biased.   In  a  FFACTS  data  base  of  3,043  cases  as  of  December 
1973,  668  victims  were  involved  in  645  separate  incidents3 
in  which  intermediary  materials'1  in  the  form  of  volatile  flam- 
mable liquids  were  present  in  the  ignition  sequence.   Gasoline 
represented  72  percent  of  these  flammable  liquids. 

Because  gasoline  represents  a  high  proportion  of  the 
flammable  liquids  cases  in  FFACTS  and  because  of  an  increasing 
concern  for  how  this  short-supply  fuel  is  being  used  and  stored 
by  the  consumer,  an  in-depth  investigation  was  made  of  the  gaso- 
line incidents.   Special  emphasis  was  given  to  those  gasoline 
incidents  that  were  container-related,  that  is,  incidents  in 
which  the  containers  were  causally  involved  in  the  ignition 
sequence.   The  objective  of  this  investigation  was  to  determine 
if  any  patterns  or  trends  exist  which  may  aid  in  the  reduction 
or  elimination  of  some  of  these  accidents. 


2.   DATA  COLLECTION  PROCEDURE 

In  table  1,  a  breakdown  of  the  volatile  flammable  liquids 
is  shown  for  the  645  incidents.   Of  the  462  gasoline  incidents, 
10  incidents  were  described  as  involving  white  (unleaded) 
gasoline.   In  these  10  incidents,  it  was  noted  that  the  flammable 
liquid  involved  was  a  product  packaged,  labeled,  and  sold 
specifically  for  use  as  a  fuel  for  camping  equipment.   These 
incidents  were  excluded  from  the  study.   The  remaining  452 
gasoline  incident  case  histories  were  collected  and  studied  in 
detail. 


^his  is  an  estimated  number  of  injuries  for  calendar  year  1973 
based  on  flammable  liquid  accident  reports  from  the  119  hospi- 
tals participating  in  the  National  Electronic  Injury  Surveil- 
lance System  (NEISS) . 

2See  Appendix  A  for  a  description  of  the  FFACTS  data  base. 

3An  incident  is  defined  as  a  single  ignition  from  a  single  heat 
source  which  may  involve  one  or  more  fabric  items  and/or  persons 

^An  intermediary  material  is  a  non-fabric  item  which  is  ignited 
by  the  ignition  source  and  in  turn  ignites  fabric  items  thereby 
forming  a  link  in  the  causality  chain. 


Table  1.   Volatile  Flammable 
Liquids  Incidents  in  FFACTS 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Number  of 

Percent  of 

Flammable  Liquid 

Incidents 

Incidents 

Gasoline 

462 

72 

Lighter  Fluid 

36 

6 

Alcohol 

27 

4 

Paint  Thinner 

23 

4 

Solvents 

13 

2 

Adhesives 

13 

2 

Kerosene 

11 

2 

Flammable  Liquids  (Unspecified) 

11 

2 

Oils 

8 

Fuel 

8 

Turpentine 

5 

Charcoal/Starter  Fluid 

5 

Cleaning  Fluid 

5 

Paint 

5 

Mix  of  Chemicals 

4 

6 

Acetone 

2 

Shellac 

2 

Hair  Spray 

2 

Window  De-icer 

1 

Antifreeze 

1 

Fabric  Softener 

1 

Total 

645 

100 

From  a  review  of  these  case  histories  it  was  noted  that 
they  often  contained  specific  information  regarding  the  container 
itself  and  the  victim's  activity  with  respect  to  the  container 
prior  to  the  ignition,  as  well  as  information  about  the  container 
during  the  ignition  sequence.   None  of  this  information  can  be 
retrieved  from  the  computerized  data  file.   It  was  observed  that 
patterns  involving  the  above  cited  parameters  appeared  repeatedly 
in  these  incidents  which  suggested  that  categorization  of  con- 
tainer types  and  container-related  activities  leading  up  to  the 
ignition  might  be  possible. 

A  system1  was  devised  for  obtaining  this  information  from 
the  452  gasoline-related  incidents.   The  following  sections  of 


'See  Appendix  B  for  a  description  of  this  system. 


this  report  describe  the  findings  of  this  system  as  well  as  the 
involvement'  of  the  primary  victim1  for  each  of  these  incidents. 


FINDINGS 


3.1.   Age  and  Sex  of  Persons  Involved 


The  age  and  sex  distribut 
volved  in  the  FFACTS  452  gasol 
2.  A  subset  of  these  data  was 
gasoline  container-related  inc 
incidents  (cans  designed  speci 
were  determined.  These  groups 
also.  For  purposes  of  analysi 
divided  into  six  age  groups  wh 
of  behavior  patterns.  The  age 
toddlers,  ages  0-5;  children, 
young  adults,  ages  21-45;  adul 
age  66  and  over. 


ion  of  the  primary  victims  in- 
ine  incidents  are  shown  in  table 

obtained  which  represents  the 
idents,  from  which  gasoline  can 
fically  for  containing  gasoline) 

of  data  are  shown  in  table  2 
s,  the  victim  population  was 
ich  roughly  represent  six  types 

groups  represent  infants  and 
ages  6-12;  youth,  ages  13-20; 
ts,  ages  46-65;  and  the  elderly, 


Table  2.   Age  and  Sex  Distribution  of 
Persons  Involved  in  Gasoline,  Gasoline 
Container-Related,  and  Gasoline  Can  Incidents 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Gasoline 

Container- 

•Related 

Gasoline  Can 

Age  Group 

Incidents 

Incidents 

Incidents 

M     F   Total 

M     F 

Total 

M    F   Total 

0-5 

22   12     34 

21   11 

32 

6    2     8 

6-12 

90   18    108 

66   16 

82 

8    4    12 

13-20 

100   12    112 

57    7 

64 

9    1    10 

21-45 

102   13    115 

52    9 

61 

8    0     8 

46-65 

55   11     66 

21    6 

27 

3    0     3 

66+ 

12    3     15 

6    0 

6 

0    0     0 

Total  Known 

381   69    450 

223   49 

272 

34    7    41 

Unknown 

2    -      2 

1 

1 

-    -     - 

Total 

383   69    452 

224   49 

273 

34    7    41 

^he  primary  victim  is  defined  as  the  person  who  was  most  in- 
volved in  the  causality  chain  with  the  most  important  role 
being  that  of  sustaining  an  injury.   If  there  were  no  injuries 
reported,  then  the  primary  victim  became  the  person  who  ini- 
tiated the  fire  or  was  in  some  way  directly  involved. 


As  can  be  seen  from  these  data,  males  outnumbered  females 
approximately  5  to  1  in  all  three  groups  of  incidents.   In 
addition,  the  age  distributions  are  roughly  similar  for  all 
three  groups  of  incidents.   For  a  more  realistic  discussion  of 
these  data,  the  gasoline  incidents  were  separated  by  sex  and 
the  total  number  cf  victims  for  each  sex  was  redistributed  over 
the  six  age  groups1  in  proportion  to  their  representation  in 
the  U.S.  population.   These  data  are  shown  in  table  3.   The 
resulting  distributions  indicate  the  number  of  victims  which 
might  be  expected  for  each  age  group  if  these  gasoline  incidents 
had  been  distributed  uniformly  over  all  age  groups. 


Table  3.   Age  Distribution  by  Sex  of  Persons  Involved  in 
Gasoline  Incidents  vs.  Age  Distributions  For  the  U.S.  Population 

(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


a. 


Males 


Expected  Number  of 

Age  Group 

Number 

of 

Percent  of  U.S. 

Victims  Based  on 

Victims 

Populationa 

Population  Percentage 

0-5 

22 

11 

42 

6-12 

90 

15 

57 

13-20 

100 

16 

61 

21-45 

102 

31 

118 

46-65 

55 

19 

72 

66+ 

12 

8 

31 

Total 

381 

100 

381 

b.   Females 

Expected  Number  of 

Age  Group 

Number 

of 

Percent  of  U.S. 

Victims  Based  on 

Victims 

Population3 

Population  Percentage 

0-5 

12 

10 

7 

6-12 

18 

13 

9 

13-20 

12 

15 

10 

21-45 

13 

31 

21 

46-65 

11 

20 

14 

66+ 

3 

11 

8 

Total 

69 

100 

69 

aFigures  are  based  on  1970  U.S.  Bureau  of  the  Census  statistics 


■^he  two  male  victims  of  unknown  age  were  excluded  from  table  3, 

5 


A  visual  representation  of  these  data  is  given  in  figure  1 
and  figure  2.   In  figure  1,  the  histograms  represent  the  number 
of  victims  reported  for  the  gasoline  incidents  found  in  FFACTS . 
The  number  of  victims  which  might  be  expected  for  each  age  group 
(if  the  incidents  were  distributed  uniformly  over  the  age  groups 
in  proportion  to  their  representation  in  the  U.S.  population) 
are  superimposed  over  the  histograms.   In  figure  2,  the  histo- 
grams represent  the  number  of  victims  reported  for  all  three 
types  of  gasoline-related  incidents  in  FFACTS. 

For  the  gasoline  incidents,  males  in  the  6-12  and  13-20 
age  groups  were  injured  far  more  frequently  than  would  have 
been  expected  for  their  age  groups  if  the  incidents  were  dis- 
tributed randomly  over  the  male  population.   Being  of  an  age 
for  "experimentation,"  males  in  the  6-12  age  group  were  found 
to  be  injured  most  frequently  from  playing  with  gasoline  and 
an  ignition  source.   Having  gained  in  sophistication,  males  in 
the  13-20  age  group  were  injured  most  frequently  from  starting 
or  tending  open  fires  (type  1  and  type  2)*  -  activities  which 
might  still  be  considered  as  play  activities  in  some  instances 
even  though  they  may  have  been  assigned  chores. 

Although  males  in  the  21-45  age  group  were  represented 
more  often  than  all  other  age  groups  in  the  FFACTS  data,  this 
age  group  also  represents  the  largest  portion  of  the  male  popu- 
lation among  the  six  age  groups  used  throughout  this  paper. 
Hence,  males  in  this  age  group  were  injured  about  as  frequently 
as  would  have  been  expected  if  the  381  gasoline  incidents 
involving  males  were  distributed  uniformly  across  the  male 
population.   These  victims  were  involved  primarily  with  starting 
or  tending  open  fires  type  1  and  priming  carburetors. 

In  all  three  groups  of  incidents  -  gasoline,  container- 
related,  and  gasoline  can  incidents  -  males  between  the  ages  of 
6  and  65  were  injured  most  often  with  a  marked  decline  in 
injuries  for  the  very  young  and  the  elderly.   This  roughly 
follows  the  developmental  patterns  one  might  expect  for  the 
previously  defined  six  age  groups. 

Females  represented  only  18  percent  of  the  victims  in  the 
FFACTS  gasoline  incidents,  but  their  distribution  in  the  three 
groups  of  incidents  is  similar  to  that  for  the  males.   Females 
in  the  0-5,  6-12,  and  13-20  age  groups  were  injured  most  fre- 
quently in  proportion  to  their  respective  representation  in  the 
female  population.   Possible  explanations  for  the  small  fre- 
quency of  female  involvement  in  gasoline  incidents  will  be  dis- 
cussed in  later  sections. 


*Type  1  fire  refers  to  any  open  fire  which  is  contained  in  a 
receptacle  designed  for  a  fire  (i.e.,  charcoal  grill,  camp  fire, 
fireplace,  incinerator,  etc.).   Type  2  fire  refers  to  any  open 
fire  which  has  been  started  on  the  ground  in  an  open  area 
(i.e.,  bonfire,  fire  to  clear  trash,  leaves,  or  other  debris, 
etc.) . 

6 


FIGURE  I.  MALE  AND  FEMALE  AGE  DISTRIBUTIONS  FOR  GASOLINE 
INCIDENTS  AND  FOR  THE  U.S.  POPULATION 
(Expected  Number  of  Victims  Supeimposed) 

(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


120- 

vr 

rAU 

b,  i 

110- 

"        A 

102 

"SQirni  MALES 

100- 

90- 

90 

i 

co 

\ 

2    80- 

- 

/ 

\ 

1- 

/ 

\ 

^     70- 

_ 

/ 

\ 

> 

/ 

\ 

fe    60- 

- 

•^ 

J 

55\ 

<z 

/ 

— 1 

uj    50- 

— 

r 

\ 

m 

|    40- 

V 

\ 

z 

\ 

30- 

22 

» 

20- 

12 

10- 

0 

*   xV  *'  ><b'     * 

AG 

EG 

=?0U 

P 

co  50-r 


FEMALES 


°      *'  vV    nX'  Jb'        fo 


V  V  *"■ 

AGE  GROUP 


FIGURE  2.  MALE  AND  FEMALE  INVOLVEMENT  IN  GASOLINE  INCIDENTS, 
CONTAINER-RELATED  INCIDENTS,  AND  GASOLINE  CAN 
INCIDENTS  BY  AGE  GROUPS 

(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


MALES 


□ 


GASOLINE  INCIDENTS 
(NON-CONTAINER) 

GASOLINE  CONTAINER- 
RELATED  INCIDENTS 


3  GASOLINE  CAN  (A  SUBSET  OF 
INCIDENTS  GASOLINE 

CONTAINER- 
RELATED 
INCIDENTS) 


FEMALES 


*>  &  ,_* 


<°  <b    o>    *° 


AGE  GROUP 


AGE  GROUP 


3.2.   Gasoline  Incidents 

3.2.1.   Ignition-Causing  Activities  For  Gasoline  Incidents 

In  classifying  the  gasoline  incidents  by  the  activity 
which  led  to  the  accident,  it  was  observed  that  several  of  the 
activity  classifications  previously  determined  might  apply  to 
any  one  given  incident.   Therefore,  the  activity  that  most 
closely  identified  with  the  ignition  sequence  was  selected  for 
these  incidents.   The  activity  thus  coded  may  not  necessarily 
indicate  the  activity  of  the  primary  victim  representing  the 
incident.   These  ignition-causing  activities  are  shown  in 
table  4. 

Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  1  represented  68  (15 
percent)  of  the  gasoline  incidents.   In  comparison,  54  (12 
percent)  of  the  incidents  were  the  result  of  playing  with 
gasoline  and  an  ignition  source;  40  (9  percent)  of  the  incidents 
were  the  result  of  knocking  over  or  dropping  a  container  of 
gasoline  in  the  presence  of  an  ignition  source;  39  (9  percent) 
of  the  incidents  were  the  result  of  starting  or  tending  an  open 
fire  type  2;  and  37  (8  percent)  were  the  result  of  cleaning  or 
repairing  machinery  or  equipment. 

Using  gasoline  as  a  cleaning  agent  meant  the  removal  of 
tar,  paint,  etc.  from  floors,  counter  tops,  paint  brushes, 
etc.;  driving  or  riding  in  a  vehicle  generally  involved  a 
collision;  using  work  tools  referred  to  those  tools  which  gen- 
erate heat  or  sparks  such  as  soldering  irons  and  drills;  and 
using  gasoline  as  an  exterminating  agent  meant  using  this 
volatile  liquid  to  drown  or  burn  out  insects  or  their  nests. 

Males  and  females  in  the  0-5  age  group  were  frequently 
involved  in  incidents  caused  by  knocking  over  or  dropping  a 
container  of  gasoline  in  the  presence  of  an  ignition  source 
with  4  incidents  being  reported  for  the  males  and  6  incidents 
being  reported  for  the  females  which  represent  half  of  the 
female  injuries  for  this  age  group.   Males  in  this  age  group 
were  involved  equally  as  often  in  incidents  caused  by  spilling 
or  splashing  gasoline  on  themselves  prior  to  the  ignition  and 
playing  with  gasoline  in  the  presence  of  an  ignition  source. 
The  ignition  source  for  these  activities  were  generally  hot 
water  heaters  or  matches.   Males  and  females  in  the  6-12  age 
group  were  the  chief  victims  of  incidents  caused  by  playing 
with  both  gasoline  and  an  ignition  source  which  often  involved 
open  fires,  incinerators,  camp  fires,  etc.   Thirty-three  of  the 
90  males  and  8  of  the  18  females  were  injured  as  a  result  of 
this  activity,  which  represents  77  percent  of  the  injuries  for 
the  age  group. 


Table  4.   Ignition-Causing 
Activities  For  Gasoline  Incidents 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Activity 


Number  of 
Incidents 


Percent  of 

Total 
Incidents 


Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire 

type  la 

Playing  with  gasoline  and  ignition 

source  

Knocking  over  or  dropping  container  of 

gasoline  

Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire 

type  2a 

Cleaning  or  repairing  machinery 

Priming  carburetor  

Spilling  or  splashing  gasoline  

Using  gasoline  as  cleaning  agent  .... 

Driving  or  riding  in  vehicle  

Using  work  tools  

Refueling  power  machinery  and  vehicles  . 

Playing  with  gasoline 

Using  gasoline  as  exterminating  agent.  . 

Using  matches  or  lighter  

Transferring  gasoline 

Unknown 

Standing  near  gasoline  

Stirring,  stomping  or  disturbing  an  open 

fire 

Carrying  or  transporting  gasoline.  .  .  . 

Using  machinery  or  equipment  

Playing  with  matches  or  lighter 

Smoking 

Using  gasoline  to  ignite  a  heating  source 

Standing  by  an  open  fire  

Assault/suicide 

Helping  another  person  involved  in 

incident  

Suspected  arson 

Standing  near  ignition  source 

Warming  self  


Total 


68 

54 

40 

39 
37 
33 
32 
27 
15 
14 
12 
9 


6 
6 
6 

5 
5 
4 
4 
4 
3 
3 
3 

2 
2 
2 

1 

452 


15 


12 


12 


100 


Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  1  refers  to  any  open 
fire  which  is  contained  in  a  receptable  designed  for  a  fire. 
Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  2  refers  to  any  open 
fire  which  has  been  started  on  the  ground  in  an  open  area. 


10 


Males  in  the  13-20  and  21-45  age  groups  were  involved 
most  frequently  in  starting  or  tending  fires.   For  males  in  the 
13-20  age  group,  this  frequently  meant  open  fires  followed  by 
incinerator  fires.   Males  in  the  21-45  age  group,  however,  were 
heavily  involved  in  charcoal  grill  fires.   Priming  carburetors 
was  the  second  most  frequently  reported  activity  for  males  in 
the  21-45  age  group. 

Males  in  the  46-65  age  group  were  injured  most  frequently 
while  involved  in  machinery  and  equipment-related  activities. 
Ten  incidents  were  reported  where  cleaning  or  repairing  machi- 
nery was  involved  and  7  incidents  were  reported  where  priming 
carburetors  was  the  activity  which  led  to  an  ignition. 

Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  1  was  the  activity 
reported  as  causing  the  most  injuries  to  females  ages  13-65 
with  charcoal  grills  being  reported  most  frequently.   For 
females  in  the  13-20  and  21-45  age  groups,  this  activity  was 
followed  in  frequency  of  occurrence  by  that  of  using  gasoline 
as  a  cleaning  agent. 

The  elderly,  both  male  and  female,  were  involved  in  acci- 
dents most  frequently  while  burning  trash,  leaves,  or  other 
debris  in  an  open  area.   The  males  were  involved  equally  as 
often  in  incidents  caused  by  cleaning  or  repairing  machinery. 

3.2.2.   Major  Ignition-Causing 
Activities  For  Gasoline  Incidents 

Many  of  the  activities  discussed  above  can  be  regrouped 
roughly  into  four  major  activities  as  seen  in  table  5.   Being 
involved  with  an  open  fire,  which  includes  starting  or  tending 
an  open  fire  types  1  and  2,  stirring,  stomping  or  disturbing  an 
open  fire,  and  standing  by  an  open  fire,  represents  115  (25 
percent)  of  the  incidents.   Being  involved  with  machinery, 
equipment,  or  tools,  which  includes  cleaning  or  repairing 
machinery,  priming  a  carburetor,  using  work  tools,  refueling 
equipment,  and  using  machinery  or  equipment,  represents  100  (22 
percent)  of  the  incidents.   A  physical  action  involving  gasoline, 
which  includes  knocking  over  or  dropping  a  container  of  gasoline, 
spilling  or  splashing  gasoline,  transferring  gasoline,  and 
carrying  or  transporting  gasoline,  represents  83  (18  percent) 
of  the  incidents.   Playing  with  gasoline,  an  ignition  source, 
or  both,  represents  67  (15  percent)  of  the  incidents. 

Many  of  the  injuries  sustained  as  a  result  of  these  acti- 
vities probably  could  have  been  alleviated  if  a  more  appropri- 
ate product  had  been  used  instead  of  gasoline.   Many  less 
volatile  products  are  sold  expressly  as  fire-starting  fuels, 
solvents,  etc.   Storage  of  these  less  volatile  products  possibly 
could  have  lessened  the  number  and  extent  of  injuries  sustained 

11 


Table  5.   Major  Ignition-Causing 
Activities  For  Gasoline  Incidents 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Activity 

Number  of 
Incidents 

Percent  of 

Total 
Incidents 

Being  involved  with  an  open  fire 

115 

25 

Being  involved  with  machinery, 
equipment,  or  tools 

100 

22 

A  physical  action  involving  gasoline 

83 

18 

Playing  with  gasoline,  an  ignition 
source ,  or  both 

67 

15 

All  others 

87 

20 

Total 

452 

100 

by  children  who  played  with  the  highly  volatile  gasoline  they 
found  stored  for  some  of  these  activities. 


3.2.3.   Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline  Incidents 

The  ignition  sources  for  the  gasoline  incidents  are  tabu- 
lated in  table  6.   Matches  were  involved  most  frequently,  being 
represented  in  87  (19  percent)  of  the  452  gasoline  incidents. 
Combustion  engines  were  the  second  most  frequently  reported 
ignition  source,  being  reported  in  65  (14  percent)  of  the  in- 
cidents, followed  by  hot  water  heaters,  representing  48  (11 
percent)  of  the  incidents;  open  fires,  representing  44  (10 
percent)  of  the  incidents;  charcoal  grills,  representing  33  (7 
percent)  of  the  incidents;  and  incinerators,  representing  32 
(7  percent)  of  the  incidents. 

Hot  water  heaters  and  matches  were  the  most  frequent 
ignition  sources  for  both  sexes  in  the  0-5  age  group  with  8 
and  6  incidents,  respectively,  being  reported  for  the  males 
and  3  and  2  incidents,  respectively,  being  reported  for  the 
females.   This  represents  64  percent  of  the  males  and  42  percent 
of  the  females  in  the  age  group.   The  water  heater  incidents 
generally  involved  knocking  over  a  gasoline  container  near  the 
ignition  source  while  the  match  incidents  were  primarily 
"playing  with  matches"  incidents.   Males  in  the  6-12  age  group 
were  involved  most  frequently  in  accidents  where  matches  were 
the  ignition  source.   Matches  represented  38  percent  of  the 
ignitions  involving  these  males.   The  second  most  frequent 

12 


ignition  source  for  males  in  this  age  group  was  open  fires. 
Matches  and  open  fires  were  also  the  most  frequent  ignition 
sources  for  females  in  the  6-12  age  group. 


Table  6.   Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline  Incidents 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Ignition  Source 


Number  of 

Percent  of 

Incidents 

Total 

Incidents 

87 

19 

65 

14 

48 

11 

44 

10 

33 

7 

32 

7 

23 

5 

15 

3 

12 

3 

11 

2 

10 

2 

9 

2 

9 

2 

7 

2 

7 

2 

6 

5 

5 

4 

4 

3 

3 

9 

3 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Matches 

Combustion  Engine 

Hot  Water  Heater  

Open  Fire   

Charcoal  Grill  

Incinerator 

Unknown 

Camp  fire   

Cutting/Welding  Torch  &  Other  Ignition 

Source  Equipment 

Space  Heater  

Hot  Coals  or  Smoldering  Sticks  .  . 

Furnace .  . 

Gas  Range  or  Oven 

Miscellaneous 

Cigarettes  

Other  Work  Tools  

Electrical  Wiring   

Sparks  and  Shorts   

Light  Bulbs   

Fireplace   

Other  Appliances  

Lantern/Candle  

Lighter   

Matches  or  Lighter  

Other  Heaters 

Clothes  Dryer 

Camp  Stove  

Extension  Cord  

Fireworks   

TOTAL 


452 


100 


13 


Matches  and  open  fires  were  the  most  frequent  ignition 
sources  reported  for  males  in  the  13-20  age  group  representing 
20  and  12,  respectively,  of  the  incidents.   Combustion  engines 
were  reported  most  frequently  as  the  ignition  source  for  males 
in  the  21-45  and  46-65  age  groups.   For  males  ages  21-45  this 
meant  primarily  priming  carburetors.   For  males  ages  46-65  this 
involved  cleaning  or  repairing  machinery  most  frequently.   For 
the  males  in  the  21-45  age  group,  carburetor-priming  was  followed 
by  charcoal  grills. 

Females  in  the  13-20  age  group  were  involved  with  hot  water 
heaters  most  frequently.   Females  ages  21-65  were  involved  with 
charcoal  grills  most  frequently.   In  addition,  females  in  the 
21-4  5  age  group  were  often  involved  with  space  heaters  and 
females  in  the  46-65  age  group  were  often  involved  with  hot 
water  heaters,  cigarettes,  and  matches. 

3.2.4.   Major  Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline  Incidents 

Although  some  2  7  different  ignition  sources  have  been 
identified,  81  percent  of  the  452  gasoline  incidents  occurred 
as  the  result  of  4  major  types  of  ignition  sources  which  appear 
in  table  7.   Open  fires,  which  include  charcoal  grills,  inci- 
nerators, camp  fires,  furnaces  and  fireplaces,  represent  30 
percent  of  the  ignitions;  matches  and  lighters  represent  20 
percent;  hot  water  heaters  and  other  appliances,  which  include 
space  heaters,  gas  ranges  or  ovens,  light  bulbs,  a  clothes 
dryer,  and  a  camp  stove,  represent  17  percent,  and  combustion 
engines  represent  14  percent. 

Table  7.   Major  Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline  Incidents 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Percent  of 

Ignition  Source             Number 

of 

Total 

Incidents 

Incidents 

Open  Fires                              137 

30 

Matches  and  Lighters                      92 

20 

Hot  Water  Heaters  and  Other  Appliances     78 

17 

Combustion  Engines                       65 

14 

All  Others                               80 

19 

Total                                  452 

100 

14 


Open  fires  and  matches  and  lighters,  which  were  the  most 
frequent  ignition  sources,  were  generally  found  to  entail  a 
similar  sequence  of  events.   Gasoline  either  was  poured  onto 
the  material  to  be  ignited  or  was  used  to  rekindle  an  existing 
fire.   Under  the  first  set  of  circumstances,  a  match  or  lighter 
was  ignited  which  instantaneously  ignited  the  highly  volatile 
gasoline  fumes.   An  explosion  generally  ensued.   Under  the 
second  set  of  circumstances,  hot  coals  or  embers  generally 
ignited  the  gasoline  as  it  was  being  poured  from  the  container, 
and  the  flames  flashed  back  along  the  vapor  stream  to  the  con- 
tainer.  In  both  sets  of  circumstances,  the  victims  were 
reported  to  be  engulfed  in  flames  as  the  gasoline  vapors  had 
already  surrounded  and  permeated  their  clothing. 

Accidents  caused  by  pilot  lights  from  gas  appliances  and 
sparks  from  combustion  engines  igniting  the  gasoline  with  which 
the  victims  were  involved,  have  similar  ignition  sequences. 
Although  many  of  these  ignition  sources  were  being  misused  or 
abused  at  the  time  of  the  ignition,  they  could  not  have  been 
changed  or  redesigned  to  make  conditions  safer  for  the  victims 
of  these  incidents  who  were  carelessly  and  often  improperly 
using  the  highly  volatile  flammabile  liquid  -  gasoline. 

3.3.   Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents 

The  trends  described  for  the  gasoline  incidents  were  present 
generally  in  the  273  gasoline  container-related  incidents  where 
a  container  description  was  also  given. 

3.3.1.   Container  Description  For 
Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents 

Of  the  452  incidents  involving  gasoline,  273  were  found 
where  a  container  type  was  reported  to  have  been  involved  in 
the  ignition  sequence.   Although  more  than  one  container  type 
may  have  been  mentioned  in  the  case  history  report,  only  the 
container  that  was  in  use  at  the  time  of  or  otherwise  involved 
in  the  ignition  sequence  was  coded.   In  table  8,  the  distri- 
bution of  container  types  that  were  found  in  the  gasoline  in- 
cidents is  given. 

Gasoline  cans,  which  included  one-,  two-  and  five-gallon 
gasoline  cans,  were  involved  in  41  (15  percent)  of  the  273 
container-related  incidents.   This  means  that  in  41  of  the 
incidents,  the  container  involved  was  actually  referred  to  as  a 
"gasoline  can"  or  a  can  specifically  designed  for  holding 
gasoline.   If  the  case  history  referred  to  the  container  as  a 
"can  of  gas,"  one-,  two-  or  five-gallon  can  of  gasoline,  etc., 
it  was  considered  inappropriate  to  presume  that  the  container 
had  been  designed  specifically  for  gasoline.   These  containers 

15 


Table  8.   Distribution  of  Container  Types 

in  Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents 

(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Number  of 

Percent  of 

Container  Type 

Incidents 

Total  Incidents 

Gasoline  Can 

41 

15 

Glass  Container 

37 

14 

Can  (Unspecified) 

35 

13 

Open  Can 

29 

11 

Coffee  Can 

26 

10 

Plastic  Container  (Unspecified) 

23 

8 

Open,  Shallow  Pan 

15 

6 

Cup 

11 

4 

One-Gallon  Can 

9 

3 

Five-Gallon  Can 

8 

3 

Pail  or  Bucket 

7 

3 

Oil  Can 

6 

2 

"Non-approved"  Metal  Can 

4 

2 

Two-Gallon  Can 

3 

Paint  Can 

2 

Bowl 

2 

Paint-roller  Tray 

2 

Three-Gallon  Can 

2 

Can  with  Spout 

2 

Charcoal  Lighter  Fluid  Spray  Can 

1 

Insecticide  Spray  Can 

1 

6 

Tea  Kettle 

1 

Water  Can 

1 

Milk  Can 

1 

Thirty-Gallon  Can 

1 

Milk  Can  Lid 

1 

"Rusty"  Can 

1 

Antifreeze  Can 

1 

Total 

273 

100 

were  coded  under  other  classification  listings.   Therefore, 
the  percentage  of  gasoline  cans  which  were  actually  involved 
in  an  ignition  sequence  may  be  somewhat  higher  if  it  were  known 
what  percent  of  the  containers  classified  under  unspecified 
containers  and  various  other  classifications  were  gasoline  cans. 

Glass  containers,  which  include  pop  and  beer  bottles,  baby 
food  jars,  peanut  butter  jars,  and  Mason  jars,  were  involved 
in  37  (14  percent)  of  the  incidents.   Open  cans,  which  include 
tin  cans,  as  well  as  cans  designed  specifically  for  food,  juice, 
ham,  lard,  oysters  and  soda  pop,  were  reported  in  29  (11  per- 
cent) of  the  incidents.   Coffee  cans,  primarily  of  the  one- 

16 


or  two-pound  variety,  were  reported  in  2  3  (8  percent)  of  the 
incidents . 

Cups  were  generally  paper  or  plastic,  but  occasionally  a 
kitchen  measuring  cup  was  reported.   Pails  and  buckets  were 
made  of  a  variety  of  materials  including  plastic. 

Without  exception,  all  of  these  containers  were  open  at 
the  time  of  the  ignition,  which,  in  fact,  helped  bring  about 
the  ignition  in  some  instances.   In  most  of  the  gasoline  can 
incidents,  the  container  was  described  as  being  primarily  a 
storage  receptacle.   The  rest  of  the  containers,  however,  were 
viewed  by  the  victims  generally  as  being  temporary  receptacles 
chosen  for  easy  maneuverability  while  using  gasoline. 

The  youngest  age  group  was  involved  most  frequently  with 
some  of  the  largest  containers.   Of  all  the  age  groups,  the 
0-5  age  group  was  involved  most  frequently  with  gasoline  cans, 
which,  for  this  age  group,  were  designated  generally  as  being 
one  gallon  in  size.   These  small  toddlers  were  also  involved 
frequently  with  one-  and  two-pound  coffee  cans.   This  fact  can 
best  be  understood  when  coupled  with  the  most  frequently 
reported  activity  for  this  age  group  which  was  knocking  over 
or  dropping  containers  of  gasoline. 

In  contrast,  the  rest  of  the  age  groups  were  involved  most 
frequently  with  smaller,  more  easily  managed  containers.   For 
the  6-12  and  13-20  age  groups  this  meant  primarily  glass  con- 
tainers which  generally  are  readily  found  in  the  storage  area 
of  most  homes.   The  remaining  three  age  groups,  which  represent 
adults,  were  involved  most  frequently  with  open  cans  (i.e., 
food  and  juice  cans)  and  coffee  cans  which  probably  were  saved 
for  a  specific  purpose  by  these  victims  as  soon  as  the  original 
contents  had  been  emptied. 

There  was  no  indication  in  the  FFACTS  data  that  one  type 
of  container  was  more  hazardous  than  another  either  by  size, 
shape,  material,  or  construction.   All  of  the  containers  in 
these  incidents  had  their  inherent  strengths  and  weaknesses 
based  on  these  four  components.   The  one  feature  common  to  all 
of  these  containers  was  that  they  were  open  at  the  time  of  the 
accident. 


3.3.2.   Ignition-Causing  Activities  For 
Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents 

As  was  observed  for  the  gasoline  incidents  in  general, 
several  of  the  activity  classifications  could  apply  to  any 
given  incident  in  the  273  gasoline  container-related  incidents. 
Again,  the  activity  that  most  closely  identified  with  the 
gasoline  container  and  the  ignition  sequence  was  chosen  for 

17 


the  incident  in  question  which  meant  the  activity  selected 
may  not  indicate  the  activity  of  the  primary  victim  of  the 
incident.   The  ignition-causing  activities  for  these  gasoline 
container-related  incidents  are  given  in  table  9. 


Table  9.   Ignition-Causing  Activities 

in  Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents 

(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Activity 


Number  of 
Incidents 


Percent  of 
Total  Incidents 


Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire 

type  1 57 

Playing  with  gasoline  and 

ignition  source  44 

Knocking  over/dropping  container 

of  gasoline 40 

Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire 

type  2 22 

Priming  carburetor 18 

Spilling  or  splashing  gasoline.  .  14 

Using  gasoline  as  cleaning  agent  12 
Using  gasoline  as  exterminating 

agent 8 

Playing  with  gasoline  7 

Refueling  power  machinery  ....  7 

Cleaning  or  repairing  machinery  6 

Transferring  gasoline  6 

Carrying  or  transporting  gasoline  5 

Using  matches  or  lighter 5 

Standing  near  gasoline 5 

Playing  with  matches  or  lighter  .  3 
Stirring,  stomping,  or  disturbing 

open  fire 3 

Smoking  3 

Using  gasoline  to  ignite  heating 

source   1 

Standing  by  open  fire 1 

Using  work  tools 1 

Driving  or  riding  in  vehicle  .  .  1 
Helping  other  person  involved  in 

incident 1 

Suspected  arson  1 

Assault/suicide  1 

Unknown  1 

Total 273 


21 

16 

15 

8 
7 
5 
4 

3 
3 
3 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 


100 


18 


Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  1  represented  57  (21 
percent)  of  the  incidents  that  were  gasoline  container-related. 
In  comparison,  44  (16  percent)  of  the  incidents  involved  playing 
with  gasoline  and  an  ignition  source;  4  0  (15  percent)  of  the 
incidents  involved  knocking  over  or  dropping  a  container  of 
gasoline;  22  (8  percent)  involved  starting  or  tending  an  open 
fire  type  2;  18  (7  percent)  of  the  incidents  involved  priming 
carburetors;  and  14  (5  percent)  of  the  incidents  represented 
the  victim  or  someone  else  spilling  or  splashing  gasoline  onto 
the  victim  prior  to  the  ignition. 

Gasoline  used  as  an  exterminating  agent  included  gasoline 
soaked  rags,  jars  containing  small  amounts  of  gasoline,  etc., 
to  destroy  bugs  and  insects.   The  only  activity  involving  the 
use  of  machinery  or  equipment,  for  these  container-related 
incidents,  was  lighting  a  lantern.   Driving  or  riding  in  vehi- 
cles included  the  involvement  of  vehicles  in  collisions. 

Youth  ages  13-20  and  adults  between  the  ages  of  21-65  were 
injured  most  frequently  while  involved  in  starting  or  adding 
gasoline  to  an  existing  open  fire  type  1.   The  elderly  were 
injured  most  while  involved  with  an  open  fire  type  2.   These 
activities  correlate  with  the  small  container  types  most  fre- 
quently used  by  these  victims  which  were  primarily  food,  juice, 
and  coffee  cans. 

Young  children  in  the  0-5  age  group  were  injured  most 
frequently  from  knocking  over  or  dropping  a  container  of  gaso- 
line in  the  presence  of  an  ignition  source.   Males  in  this  age 
group  were  also  injured  about  as  frequently  from  spilling  or 
splashing  gasoline  on  themselves  prior  to  an  ignition  and 
playing  with  gasoline  in  the  presence  of  an  ignition  source. 
These  activities  do  not  require  a  great  deal  of  manual  dexterity 
on  the  part  of  the  victim  which  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact 
that  most  of  these  victims  were  involved  with  container  types 
too  large  or  heavy  for  them  to  lift  or  carry  with  ease. 

Children  in  the  6-12  age  group  were  injured  most  frequently 
while  playing  with  gasoline  and  an  ignition  source.   Children 
this  age  are  generally  more  concerned  about  concealing  play 
activities  that  may  have  been  designated  dangerous  or  harmful 
than  toddlers  who  have  not  yet  developed  reasoning  abilities. 
These  older  children,  who  also  have  better  developed  motor 
skills,  often  transferred  gasoline  to  smaller,  more  manageable 
containers  and  experimented  with  it  in  the  presence  of  ignition 
sources  -  generally  matches  and  open  fires. 


19 


3.3.3.   Ignition  Sources  For  Gasoline 
Container-Related  Incidents 

A  distribution  of  the  ignition  sources  found  for  the  gaso- 
line container-related  incidents  is  given  in  table  10.   Matches 
were  involved  most  frequently,  representing  62  (23  percent)  of 
the  incidents.   In  comparison,  open  fires  and  hot  water  heaters 
each  were  the  ignition  sources  for  30  (11  percent)  of  the 
incidents;  and  incinerators  and  charcoal  grill  fires  each  were 
involved  in  27  (10  percent)  of  the  incidents. 


Table  10.   Ignition  Sources  For 
Gasoline  Container-Related  Incidents 
(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


Number  of 

Percent  of 

Ignition  Source 

Incidents 

Total  Incidents 

Matches 

62 

23 

Open  Fire 

30 

11 

Hot  Water  Heater 

30 

11 

Incinerator 

27 

10 

Charcoal  Grill 

27 

10 

Combustion  Engine 

23 

8 

Camp  fire 

12 

4 

Hot  Coals  or  Smoldering  Sticks 

9 

3 

Unknown 

9 

3 

Furnace 

7 

3 

Space  Heater 

6 

2 

Gas  Range  or  Oven 

6 

2 

Sparks  or  Shorts 

5 

2 

Fireplace 

4 

Cigarette 

3 

Lighter 

3 

Lantern/Candle 

2 

Cutting/Welding  Torch  &  Other 

Ignition  Source  Tools 

2 

7 

Clothes  Dryer 

1 

Camp  Stove 

1 

Other  Appliances 

1 

Extension  Cord 

1 

Matches  or  Lighter 

1 

Other  Work  Tools 

1 

Total 

273 

100 

20 


Youth  in  the  13-20  age  group  were  involved  in  incidents 
most  frequently  where  matches  and  incinerator  fires  were  the 
ignition  sources.   Adults  in  the  21-45  age  group  were  involved 
most  frequently  by  pouring  gasoline  on  a  charcoal  grill.   Adults 
over  the  age  of  45  were  involved  primarily  with  open  fires. 
Combustion  engines  (priming  carburetors)  were  also  the  cause 
of  many  injuries  for  adults  ages  21-65. 

Children  in  the  0-5  age  group  were  victims  of  incidents 
where  the  most  frequent  ignition  source  was  found  to  be  hot 
water  heaters.   Children  in  the  6-12  age  group  were  involved 
most  frequently  in  incidents  where  matches  were  the  ignition 
source.   Activities  coupled  with  ignition  sources  for  these 
two  age  groups  demonstrate  the  greater  physical  capabilities  of 
the  6-12  year  olds  as  compared  with  the  toddlers.   For  the  6-12 
age  group,  the  activities  generally  involved  "experimentation" 
which  meant  the  ignition  sequences  were  usually  intentional. 
The  activities  involving  the  0-5  age  group,  however,  generally 
were  not  predetermined  which  meant  these  small  children  usually 
became  the  victims  of  an  existing  set  of  circumstances. 


3.4.   Gasoline  Can  Incidents 

As  seen  in  table  8  above,  gasoline  cans  were  involved  in 
gasoline  container-related  incidents  more  frequently  than  any 
other  container  type.   The  ignition-causing  activity  engaged  in 
most  often  was  knocking  over  or  dropping  the  container  which 
occurred  in  10  (24  percent)  of  the  incidents,  followed  by 
starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  1  which  occurred  in  9 
(22  percent)  of  the  incidents,  and  playing  with  an  ignition 
source  and  gasoline  which  occurred  in  6  (15  percent)  of  the 
incidents. 

Matches  were  the  most  frequent  ignition  source  for  this 
group  of  incidents,  being  reported  in  16  of  the  incidents, 
followed  by  6  incinerator  fires,  5  hot  water  heater  fires, 
and  3  combustion  engine  fires. 

When  the  activities  and  ignition  sources  were  correlated 
for  these  41  gasoline  can  incidents  (table  11) ,  the  combinations 
which  occurred  most  frequently  were  playing  with  gasoline  and 
matches  which  occurred  5  times,  starting  or  tending  an  open 
fire  type  1  in  an  incinerator  which  occurred  4  times,  and 
knocking  over  or  dropping  a  gasoline  can  in  the  presence  of  a 
hot  water  heater  and  using  matches  near  gasoline,  each  of  which 
occurred  3  times. 

Nine  of  these  41  gasoline  cans  were  reported  to  have 
exploded  at  the  time  of  the  ignition  with  4  of  these  explosions 
occurring  near  open  fires.   Three  other  containers  also  ex- 
ploded at  the  time  of  the  ignition;  two  of  these  containers 

21 


Table  11.   A  Comparison  Between  Activities  and 

Ignition  Sources  For  the  41  Gasoline  Can  Incidents 

(FFACTS,  December  1973) 


u 

CD 

+j 
to 

CD 

eg 

CD 

o 
id 

co 

S-l 
CD 
4-> 
td 
CD 
33 

u 

CD 
-P 
td 
S 

4-> 

0 
HI 

CD 
H 

•a 
a 

ft) 
U 
\ 

c 

s-i 

CD 
4-> 

C 

rti 

CD 
S-l 

-rH 

a 

CD 
O 

CD 
0 
<d 

■H 

CD 
S-l 
•H 

CD 
S-l 
-rH 

Pn 

ft 

s 

u 

S-l 
0 

4-1 

td 

u 

CD 
C 
•H 
0 

C 
l-l 

CD 
4J 
4-1 

CD 
S-i 

td 

■rH 

o 

en 

CD 

U 

4J 

td 
S 

S-l 
CD 
4-1 
.C 
tjl 
•H 

CD 

a 

■rH 

tr> 
S5 
W 

C 
0 
■H 

+J 
en 

P 

1 

0 

u 

en 

4-1 
S-l 
0 
£t 
w 
\ 
in 

S-l 

td 
a 

CO 

c 

0 

c 

M 
C 
D 

to 

4-1 
0 

Eh 

Starting  or  tending 

an  open  fire  type  2 

1 

1 

Starting  or  tending 

an  open  fire  type  1 

1 

1 

1 

4 

2 

9 

Refueling  equipment 

1 

1 

Spilling  or  splashing 

gasoline 

1 

1 

1 

3 

Knocking  over  or 

dropping  container 

3 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

10 

Cleaning  or  repairing 

machinery 

1 

1 

Priming  carburetor 

2 

2 

Driving  or  riding  in 

vehicle 

1 

1 

Using  matches  or 

lighter 

3 

3 

Smoking 

2 

2 

Using  gasoline  as 

cleaning  agent 

1 

1 

Unknown 

1 

1 

Playing  with  gasoline 

and  ignition  source 

1 

5 

6 

Total 

1 

5 

1 

2 

1 

2 

6 

1 

16 

1 

3 

1 

1 

41 

were  glass  and  one  was  a  coffee  can. 
were  being  used  near  an  open  fire. 


These  three  containers 


22 


4.   CONCLUSIONS 

The  FFACTS  data  base  was  searched  for  fire  incidents 
involving  gasoline  even  though  the  data  base  is  structured  to 
collect  detailed  information  about  fabrics  involved  in  fire 
incidents.   The  information  gleaned  from  these  case  history 
reports  concerning  gasoline  and  gasoline  containers  was  addi- 
tional information  provided  by  the  field  investigators  in  their 
attempt  to  depict  as  accurately  and  precisely  as  possible  the 
sequence  of  events  which  led  to  the  ignition  of  fabric  items. 
As  such,  it  is  recognized  that  this  information  on  gasoline  and 
gasoline  containers  is  biased  to  fabric-ignited  fires  only  and 
cannot  be  considered  as  typical  or  conclusive  of  gasoline  and 
gasoline  container  fires  in  general. 

Males  outnumbered  females  in  the  gasoline-related  incidents 
in  about  a  5  to  1  ratio.   When  the  numbers  for  both  sexes  were 
examined  by  age  groups,  it  was  observed  that  although  males  in 
the  21-45  age  group  were  represented  most  often  in  the  FFACTS 
data,  they  were  injured  about  as  frequently  as  would  have  been 
expected  if  the  gasoline  incidents  were  distributed  uniformly 
across  the  male  age  groups.   Males  in  this  age  range  were  in- 
volved in  tasks  for  which  it  was  necessary  to  use  a  flammable 
liquid.   Unfortunately,  gasoline  instead  of  a  more  appropriate 
product  was  used.   Males  in  the  6-12  and  13-20  age  groups  were 
injured  much  more  frequently  than  would  have  been  expected  for 
their  age  groups  if  the  incidents  were  distributed  randomly 
over  the  male  population.   These  are  the  developmental  and 
maturing  years  for  males  in  these  two  age  groups  which  may  have 
a  direct  bearing  on  their  high  frequency  of  experimentation 
with  gasoline  and  their  involvement  in  gasoline-related  fire 
accidents.   Activities  for  these  age  groups  centered  around 
different  levels  of  experimentation,  that  is,  playing  with 
gasoline  and  an  ignition  source  appealed  to  the  younger  boys 
and,  on  a  more  sophisticated  level,  starting  or  tending  open 
fires  with  gasoline  attracted  the  older  youth. 

A  possible  explanation  for  the  small  number  of  female 
injuries  as  compared  to  male  injuries  is  that  most  of  the 
ignition-causing  activities  for  these  gasoline-related  incidents 
are  traditionally  male-oriented.   Most  of  the  females  injured 
in  the  0-5  age  group  were  innocent  bystanders,  being  injured  as 
the  result  of  the  actions  of  males  of  all  ages.   Females  in  the 
6-12  age  group,  although  being  frequently  injured  by  the  actions 
of  others  (both  male  and  female)  were  often  a  party  to  the 
sequence  of  events  which  led  to  the  ignition.   Females  between 
the  ages  of  13-65  were  involved  in  activities  that  may  not  have 
been  very  familiar  to  them  (i.e.,  spilling  gasoline  while  in 
the  process  of  filling  the  tank  of  a  lawn  mower,  removing  tile 
from  a  kitchen  or  laundry  room  floor,  starting  a  charcoal 
grill,  etc. ) . 

23 


Many  of  these  incidents  may  be  related  to  physical  as  well 
as  behavioral  development  of  the  victims  involved  when  the 
various  container  types,  activities  engaged  in  at  the  time  of 
the  ignition,  and  the  ignition  sources  are  considered  for  each 
age  group  for  both  males  and  females.   For  the  very  young  chil- 
dren as  well  as  the  elderly,  physical  movements  could  often  be 
interpreted  as  being  clumsy  and  awkward.   For  the  toddlers  this 
meant  a  lack  of  development  of  motor  skills.   For  the  elderly, 
however,  this  indicated  a  tendency  towards  deterioration  in 
manual  dexterity.   This  may  be  reflected  in  the  comparatively 
low  injury  rates  recorded  for  the  youngest  and  oldest  age 
groups  when  collated  with  the  other  age  groups.   The  youth  and 
the  adults  were  often  injured  because  of  their  carelessness 
and/or  a  lack  of  knowledge  as  to  the  characteristics  of  this 
highly  volatile  flammable  liquid. 

In  many  of  the  container-related  incidents  and  gasoline 
can  incidents,  improper  storage  (both  in  terms  of  container 
choice  and  physical  location)  and  inappropriate  use  was  indi- 
cated.  Although  containers  specifically  designed  for  gasoline 
may  have  some  inherent  safety  problems1  of  their  own,  there  was 
no  indication  in  the  FFACTS  data  that  either  these  "approved" 
containers  or  any  of  the  other  containers,  by  themselves, 
contributed  substantially  to  the  gasoline-related  incidents. 
These  incidents  were  the  products  of  human  error,  where  a  lack 
of  knowledge  or  judgement  resulted  in  misuse  or  abuse  of  the 
flammable  liquid,  the  container,  or  both. 


5.   RECOMMENDATIONS 

From  the  FFACTS  data,  it  seems  evident  that  people  of  all 
ages  need  to  be  made  aware  of  the  fact  that  gasoline  is  a 
highly  volatile  flammable  liquid  with  limited  intended  use. 
This  generalization  is  reinforced  by  daily  accounts  from  the 
news  media  which  relate  the  reactions  of  the  public  to  the 
current  gasoline  crisis  in  terms  of  attempts  to  use,  hord,  or 
store  this  short-supply  fuel,  often  with  serious  consequences. 

It  is  recommended  that  an  educational  program  be  esta- 
blished to  inform  the  public  about  the  properties  and  char- 
acteristics of  gasoline  which  make  it  an  inherently  dangerous 
flammable  liquid.   This  program  should  warn  against  casually 
using  this  volatile  liquid  around  the  home  in  place  of  specially 
prepared  cleaners,   solvents,  fire-starters,  etc.  and  should 
provide  information  on  how  to  store  this  fuel  properly. 

Consumer  Reports,  Gasoline  Cans,  Vol.  38,  No.  5  (May  1973), 
332-335. 


24 


Short  messages  prepared  for  radio  and  television  airing 
should  address  the  specific  users  of  gasoline  and  describe  some 
of  the  activities  that  frequently  result  in  burn  injuries. 
Specifically,  these  messages  should: 

1.  advise  adults,  particularly  men,  to  use  charcoal 
lighter  fluid,  not  gasoline,  to  start  charcoal  fires. 

2.  advise  teenages  to  use  commercially  prepared  solvents, 
not  gasoline,  to  clean  engine  parts. 

3.  advise  adults,  primarily  women,  to  use  specially 
prepared  cleaners  to  clean  floors  and  prepared  sol- 
vents to  remove  tiles  from  floors,  not  gasoline. 

These  messages  should  then  give  tips  on  how  to  use  these  com- 
mercially prepared  products  safely  and  what  actions  to  take  in 
the  event  a  fire  should  occur. 

Radio  and  television  spots  should  be  used  to  advise  the 
public  to  store  gasoline  in  a  cool,  well-ventilated  area,  pre- 
ferrably  away  from  the  house,  in  a  can  designed  specifically 
for  that  purpose.   The  public  should  be  warned  against  storing 
gasoline  in  the  following  manner: 

1.  on  "child-level"  shelves  in  discarded  food  or  drink 
containers. 

2.  on  window  sills  where  the  container  could  easily  be 
knocked  off  or  where  heat  from  the  sun  could  create 
an  explosive  mixture. 

3.  in  close  proximity  to  other  flammable  liquids  where 
a  mixture  of  the  vapors  could  prove  to  be  lethal  or 
produce  an  explosive  mixture. 

4.  close  to  ignition  sources  such  as  gas  appliances. 

The  activities  which  involved  the  use  of  gasoline  appeared 
repeatedly  in  the  FFACTS  data,  which  roughly  represents  a  nine 
year  period.   Since  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  these 
activity  patterns  will  continue  to  be  reflected  in  accident 
data  as  long  as  gasoline  is  sold  to  the  consuming  public,  an 
educational  program  such  as  the  one  described  above  will  be 
needed  to  help  reduce  or  eliminate  some  of  these  gasoline  fire 
accidents . 


25 


APPENDIX  A.   THE  FLAMMABLE  FABRICS  ACCIDENT 
CASE  AND  TESTING  SYSTEM  (FFACTS) 

The  National  Bureau  of  Standards  (NBS)  Flammable  Fabrics 
Accident  Case  and  Testing  System  (FFACTS)  was  developed  under 
the  mandate  of  the  Flammable  Fabrics  Act,  as  amended  in  19671. 
The  Consumer  Product  Safety  Act  of  1972 2  transferred  the 
responsibilities  of  the  Flammable  Fabrics  Act  to  the  new  Con- 
sumer Product  Safety  Commission  (CPSC) ,  but  NBS  continues  to 
provide  technical  support  to  the  Commission  which  includes  the 
maintenance  and  analysis  of  data  incorporated  in  FFACTS. 

The  primary  source  of  the  accident  data  incorporated  in 
the  FFACTS  data  base  are  in-depth  investigative  reports  on 
flammable  fabric  accidents  supplied  to  NBS  by  CPSC.   Using 
report  forms  developed  jointly  by  NBS  and  CPSC,  investigators 
from  CPSC  and  other  participating  organizations  follow  and 
report  on  accidental  fires  involving  fabric  products  from 
around  the  country.   These  reports,  together  with  any  available 
remains  of  fabric  products  involved,  are  sent  to  the  Office  of 
Information  and  Hazard  Analysis,  FTD,  for  processing.   If  the 
reports  meet  the  FFACTS  requirements  of  relevance  and  adequacy, 
the  fabrics,  if  any,  are  analyzed  for  fiber  composition, 
fabric  construction,  and  weight.   If  appropriate  test  methods 
exist,  flammability  characteristics  for  these  fabrics  are  also 
determined.   The  information  from  the  accident  reports  is  then 
reviewed  in  light  of  results  of  the  laboratory  tests,  coded, 
and  entered  into  the  FFACTS  computerized  data  base.   Some  130 
different  data  elements  can  be  coded  for  an  incident. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  incidents  chosen  for  FFACTS 
are  not  selected  on  a  statistical  basis  and  therefore,  do  not 
constitute  a  statistically  representative  sample  of  all  fabric 
fire  accidents  in  the  United  States.   However,  they  do  repre- 
sent events  investigated  without  known  preference  and  therefore 
may  be  roughly  representative  of  incidents  reported  to  the 
agencies  from  which  the  CPSC  and  others  obtain  accident  data. 


:The  Flammable  Fabrics  Act,  81  Stat.  568,  15  U.S.C.  1191,  as 

amended  and  revised  Dec.  14,  1967. 
Consumer  Product  Safety  Act.  86  Stat.  1221,  15  U.S.C.  2064B, 

May  14,  1973. 


26 


APPENDIX  B.   SYSTEM  DEVISED  FOR  OBTAINING 

ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION  FROM  FFACTS  CONCERNING 

GASOLINE  AND  GASOLINE  CONTAINER-RELATED  INCIDENTS 

Summaries  were  made  for  each  of  the  452  gasoline-related 
case  histories.   The  FFACTS  case  number,  age  and  sex  of  the 
primary  victim,  and  a  short  paragraph  noting  the  type  of  con- 
tainer used  for  the  gasoline,  if  mentioned,  and  the  circum- 
stances leading  up  to  the  ignition  sequence  as  they  related 
to  the  container  were  recorded  for  each  incident.   Three 
classification  lists  were  made  which  described  as  clearly 
and  as  concisely  as  possible  the  container  types  involved, 
human  activities  with  respect  to  the  containers  prior  to  the 
ignitions,  and  the  ignition  sources.   The  452  gasoline 
incidents  were  coded  and  tabulated  according  to  this  scheme. 
The  three  classification  listings  thus  devised  appear  below. 


27 


I.      Containers    Involved 


1. 

Gasoline  Can 

2. 

One-Gallon  Can 

3. 

Two-Gallon  Can 

4. 

Three-Gallon  Can 

5. 

Five-Gallon  Can 

6. 

Thirty-Gallon  Can 

7. 

Open  Can 

8. 

Water  Can 

9. 

Milk  Can 

10. 

Coffee  Can 

11. 

Oil  Can 

12. 

Paint  Can 

13. 

Charcoal  Lighter  Fluid  Spray  Can 

14. 

Antifreeze  Can 

15. 

Can  with  Spout 

16. 

"Rusty"  Can 

17. 

"Non-approved"  Metal  Can 

18. 

Can  (Unspecified) 

19. 

Pail  or  Bucket 

20. 

Glass  Container 

21. 

Plastic  Container 

(Unspecified) 

22. 

Cup 

23. 

Open,  Shallow  Pan 

24. 

Insecticide  Spray 

Bottle 

25. 

Tea  Kettle 

26. 

Milk  Can  Lid 

27. 

Bowl 

28. 

Paint-roller  Tray 

28 


II.   Activities 

1.  Playing  with  gasoline  and  an  ignition  source 

2.  Playing  with  gasoline 

3.  Playing  with  matches  or  lighter 

4.  Playing  with  an  open  fire 

5.  Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  1  (camp  fire,  fire- 
place, grill,  incinerator,  etc.) 

6.  Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  type  2  (bonfire,  fire 
to  clear  brush,  leaves,  etc.) 

7.  Stirring,  stomping,  or  disturbing  an  open  fire 

8.  Standing  by  an  open  fire  (gasoline  on  clothes) 

9.  Warming  self 

10.  Standing  near  gasoline 

11.  Standing  near  ignition  source  -  gas  appliances  (gasoline 
on  clothes) 

12.  Transferring  gasoline 

13.  Carrying  or  transporting  gasoline 

14.  Refueling  power  machinery  and  vehicles 

15.  Spilling  or  splashing  gasoline 

16.  Knocking  over  or  dropping  container  of  gasoline 

17.  Cleaning  or  repairing  machinery  or  equipment 

18.  Priming  carburetor 

19.  Using  machinery  or  equipment  (using  or  attempting  to  use 

(lanterns,  appliances,  vehicles,  etc.  when  malfunctioning 
or  explosion  occurred) . 

20.  Using  welding  torch,  soldering  iron,  or  other  work  tools 
which  resulted  in  being  ignition  source  equipment 

21.  Using  matches  or  lighter 

22.  Using  gasoline  as  a  cleaning  agent  (solvent) 

23.  Using  gasoline  as  an  exterminating  agent 

24.  Using  gasoline  to  ignite  a  heating  source 

25.  Smoking 

26.  Driving  or  riding  in  automobile,  tractor,  motorcycle, 
airplane,  etc.  (collision,  etc.) 

27.  Helping  another  person  involved  in  an  ignition  incident 

28.  Suspected  arson 

29.  Assault/suicide 

30.  Miscellaneous 

31 .  Unknown 


29 


III.   Ignition  Sources 

HEATERS 

1.  Furnace  (gas) 

2.  Space  heater 

3.  Hot  water  heater 

4.  Unspecified  heater 

5.  Other  heater 

APPLIANCES 

6.  Clothes  dryer 

7.  Gas  range  or  oven 

8.  Light  bulbs 

9 .  Camp  stove 

10.  Other 

OTHER  OBJECTS 

11.  Electrical  wiring 

12.  Extension  cord 

13.  Lantern/candle 

14.  Open  fire  (unspecified) 

15.  Fireplace 

16.  Camp  fire 

17.  Incinerator 

18.  Charcoal  grill 

19.  Hot  coals  or  smoldering  sticks 

20.  Smoking  materials  (unspecified) 

21.  Cigarette 

22.  Cigar/pipe 

23.  Matches  or  lighter 

24.  Matches 

25.  Lighter 

26.  Cutting/welding  torch  &  other  special  ignition  sources 

27.  Other  work  tools 

28.  Combustion  engine 

29.  Fireworks 

30.  Sparks  or  shorts 

31.  Miscellaneous 

32.  Unknown 


30 


14A  ire\ 


U.S.   DEPT.  OF   COMM. 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  DATA 
SHEET 


1.  PUBLICATION  OR  REPORT  NO. 
NBS    TN-850 


2.  Gov't  Accession 
No. 


3.  Recipient's  Accession  No. 


,  TITLE  AND  SUBTITLE 

Gasoline  and  Gasoline  Container  Fire  Incidents 


5.  Publication  Date 

January  19  75 


6.  Performing  Organization  Code 


7.  ALTHOR(S) 

Elaine   A. 


Tyrrell 


8.  Performing  Organ.  Report  No. 

NBS    TN-850 


I  PERFORMING  ORGANIZATION  NAME  AND  ADDRESS 

NATIONAL  BUREAU  OF  STANDARDS 
DEPARTMENT  OF  COMMERCE 
WASHINGTON,  D.C.  20234 


10.  Project/Task/Work  Unit  No. 


11.  Contract/Grant  No. 


'..  Sponsoring  Organization  Name  and  Complete  Address  (Street,  City,  State,  ZIP) 

same   as   No.    9 


13.  Type  of  Report  &  Period 
Covered 

Final 


14.  Sponsoring  Agency  Code 


5.  SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTES 


Library  of  Congress  Catalog  Card  Number:     74-  600L63 


6.  ABSTRACT  (A  200-word  or  /ess  factual  summary  of  most  significant  information.    If  document  includes  a  significant 
bibliography  or  literature  survey,  mention  it  here.) 

Gasoline  was  involved  in  72  percent  of  the  645  volatile  flammable 
liquids  fire  incidents  found  in  the  NBS  Flammable  Fabrics  Accident  Case 
and  Testing  System  as  of  December  1973.   These  gasoline  incidents, 
particularly  those  that  were  container-related,  were  studied  in  detail. 
Male  victims  out-numbered  females  approximately  5  to  1 .   Both  males  and 
females,  ages  6-20,  were  injured  more  frequently  than  would  have  been 
expected  if  the  incidents  for  each  sex  had  been  distributed  uniformly 
over  all  age  groups.   Starting  or  tending  an  open  fire  caused  ignitions 
most  frequently  and  involved  primarily  males  ages  13-45.   Children  were 
injured  most  from  knocking  over  or  dropping  a  container  of  gasoline 
close  to  an  ignition  source  and  playing  with  gasoline  and  an  ignition 
source.   Matches  were  the  most  frequent  ignition  source.   Containers 
ranged  from  large  gasoline  cans  to  kitchen  measuring  cups,  although 
gasoline  cans  were  reported  most  often.   The  youngest  children  were 
involved  most  with  some  of  the  largest  containers.   The  remaining 
victims  were  involved  primarily  with  smaller,  more  easily  managed  con- 
tainers.  There  was  no  indication  that  the  gasoline  containers,  by 
themselves,  contributed  substantially  to  these  incidents.   The  problem 
was  one  of  human  error  -  misuse  or  abuse  of  the  gasoline,  the  container, 
or  both. 


7.  KEY  WORDS  (six  to  twelve  entries;  alphabetical  order;  capitalize  only  the  first  letter  of  the  first  key  word  unless  a  proper 

.name;  separated  by  semicolons)  Accidents]    FFACTS  ;    gasoline;    gasoline    containers; 
gasoline    incidents;    gasoline-related    fires;    ignition-causing   activities; 
ignition   sources;    volatile    flammable   liquids;    volatile    flammable   liquids 
incidents. 


8.  AVAILABILITY 


■ft      Unlimited 


L_  For  Official  Distribution.    Do  Not  Release  to  NTIS 

|X!  Order  From  Sup.  of  Doc,  U.S.  Government  Printing. Office 
Washington,  D.C.  20402,  SD  Cat.  No.  C13.  46:850 

I J  Order  From  National  Technical  Information  Service  (NTIS) 

Springfield,  Virginia  22151 


19.  SECURITY  CLASS 
(THIS  REPORT) 


UNCLASSIFIED 


20.  SECURITY  CLASS 
(THIS  PAGE) 

UNCLASSIFIED 


21.  NO.  OF  PAGES 


34 


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